By Rich Flowers News Editor
The busy Henderson County Drug Enforcement Unit has added an Athens Police Department officer to its ranks.
Henderson County Sheriff Ray Nutt said Detective Greg Hill is already working with the unit, and will be an asset in the battle against drug offenders.
“Any more manpower we can get will help,” Nutt said.
Nutt is pleased that APD Chief Buddy Hill chose to commit a man to the unit, and that it’s someone with Greg Hill’s credentials.
Hill joined APD in 2001. He has worked patrol, and served 5-and-one-half years in the Criminal Investigation Division. Hill holds an Advanced Police Officer’s Certificate.
“He will do an outstanding job with the Drug Enforcement Unit,” Chief Hill said.
Hill arrived at the DEU ready to work. Last week, he participated in a pursuit and arrest of two offenders in the Seven Points area.
In that case, Ray Glenn Followwell, 45, and Melvin Harold Wise, Jr., 36, were charged with manufacture with intent to deliver a controlled substance (4 to 200 grams).
The DEU has been an effective tool during his first year in office, Nutt said.
“They’ve made a lot of cases, and some bigger cases than the normally have. We had that cocaine bust a while back where they seized three pounds,” Nutt said. “They’ve been out there working and doing a great job.
With even more manpower the unit make greater inroads into stopping those who traffic drugs in the county.
“The ideal situation would be to have enough people where we could do in depth investigations, “Nutt said. “Maybe locate some of the finances and assets (of the offenders) and that sort of thing.
For the first nine months of 2009, after Nutt took office on Jan. 1. Drug cases were worked by the Henderson County Drug Task Force —which included the HCSO drug investigators and a Gun Barrel City Police Department Officer. On October 1, due to economic factors GBCPD pulled its officer from the effort. APD had also participated in the drug enforcement unit in previous years.
Nutt came into office in 2009 committed to reemphasizing the county’s efforts to get drugs off the streets. The effort resulted in 16 methamphetamine labs shut down and numerous narcotics arrest.
